Destiny and Desire
by Anesther
Summary: A Sesshomaru and Midoriko oneshot. Two powerful beings meet and they each have different destinies. But unknowingly one teaches the other that there's more to life than duty, and the other learns that they can feel basic human desire.


_**Destiny and Desire**_

_**Midoriko…**_

She was pure. Everyone said that about her. That she was pure and untainted.

Her stride was purposeful and it never broke. She trudged along the dense forest with her usual stoic façade. There were things in life she understood yet did not. All she knew was her duty and nothing else.

Emerging from the brush, she came onto a cliff that gave her the advantage of observing the area below. Her mahogany orbs scanning everything in sight and finally resting on the sunset in the distance. Soon, night would fall again, and the villages would once again become an easy target to the wandering demons that roamed the distant hills and mountains.

Bothersome creatures was what they were. She could kill more than one hundred with just a single stroke of her sword. They were hardly worth considering but she knew better than to take the job lightly. Demons were capable of setting aside differences amongst each other when it came to situations involving the humans and she was the one chosen to make sure that wouldn't happen.

Midoriko looked down at her sword that rested at her side and she touched the hilt. She would guard the humans till the last day she took a breath; and she wasn't planning on having that occur soon.

The sun had now set and the sky had turned into a velvet cloak of the darkest shade of blue and violet. The moon hovered within it and cast its long pale rays upon the silent earth.

Midoriko hardly slept and she didn't know why she should start now when no other night had been different. Slowly rising to her feet, she left the cliff and headed back into the forest. Her eyes fixed straight forward as she kept a tight grip on the hilt, ready for any form of combat.

Even though the chances of her getting attacked by a roaming demon were low, there was still the possibility of that happening.

Midoriko sensed a demonic aura above her, but pretended not to acknowledge its presence. When the demon was within range, she abruptly turned around and sliced the demon in half. Others followed and in one motion, they all dissipated under her sword's purifying energy. A silhouette shadow flew over her and she glanced up to slash through it when she suddenly found herself on the ground, looking up into a pair of golden orbs.

_**Sesshomaru...**_

The young taiyoukai peered down at the woman in his grip and narrowed his eyes as she glared up at him in hostility.

"Why do you attack me?" he questioned.

Midoriko only frowned. "Why do you have to stalk me whenever I'm out? Do you have some business with me demon?"

Sesshomaru kept his eyes fixed on hers as he slowly released the woman and stood up to tower over her. "You obviously don't know that you have to respect those above you,"

"I could say the same for you," she retorted.

Sesshomaru regarded her coldly and he turned around on his heels, preparing to take his departure.

"Wait," she commanded.

The taiyoukai ignored the miko and kept walking.

He then felt the tip of a sword against his back and he glanced over his shoulder as she pointed it deadly at him.

"When I tell you to halt, you will do so," she muttered in a low tone.

Sesshomaru elegantly sniffed. "Why should I do anything you say priestess?"

"Because I can kill you," she stated simply. She pushed the sword slightly forward into the armor that protected his back.

Sesshomaru swung around with sudden speed and before the priestess knew what happened she was pinned against a tree. "You forget priestess; you're not the only being here that's able to kill,"

The woman only glared with her mahogany eyes flashing as they attempted to make the demon stop staring at her with such hostile golden orbs.

The taiyoukai released her once more and sought towards the direction he planned to take.

His mind began to wonder about the priestess as he strode quietly through the forest. He had been silently observing her for some time now. When he first entered the region, he heard tales of a powerful woman with immense spiritual power and gave little heed to them when he came upon her one day. He had watched her battle with the strongest of demons and knew of no human that could fight and win the battle. He didn't know if this was to learn more about the woman and learn her weakness or to see when she would fall, but since then he began to watch her every movement. He admitted that she intrigued him somehow and she was an interesting object to observe, but he did not know what the cause of this was. He had no intention of destroying her since he found that to be too simple, but he pursued her.

Sesshomaru often tried to stop following her, but he found himself once again, merely watching her actions from a distance. What was the purpose of this? Why did he always come to see her? He could easily leave if he wanted to, yet he did not. Yes, she was intriguing but there was nothing to gain from just watching the young woman; so why continue watching her?

_**Midoriko…**_

Why would he follow her?

Midoriko had been pondering about this matter for quite a while. The taiyoukai had been tailing after her for more than a month but for what reason? She considered that he wanted to kill her but that couldn't be it. He's had more than one opportunity to destroy her yet had never taken the chance. The priestess was puzzled by this and tried to ignore the matter but it plagued her like nothing else.

The priestess could not make out any of his actions. She mentally sighed from frustration and continued trudging along through the forest. Her senses were sharp and even though he said he left, she knew he wasn't very far. His demonic aura was strong so she could sense him from quite a distance.

She pretended never to really acknowledge his presence but she could always feel his eyes on her, feel them touch her skin, stalk her every move. She didn't mind but there was something about the feeling that was somewhat disturbing. She couldn't exactly tell what it was but it was there.

What was this feeling?

The priestess halted in her steps and glanced over her shoulder, knowing that he was right behind her.

"If you're going to be stalking me, why don't you just come out and walk beside me." she calmly said to the darkness. She was then surprised to see him take a step forward and approach her without question or rebuttal.

She narrowed her eyes as he continued to walk forward and took the lead. Walking slowly behind him she had her head downcast as she wondered how to approach him.

Midoriko glanced up and saw that he had stopped to wait for her. Once she was at his side they continued to walk. Her eyes kept forward and she enjoyed the silence but she felt apprehension. The silence was then broken by his voice.

"Priestess,"

"Yes?"

"Is there a reason as to why you wanted me to accompany you?" he questioned.

Midoriko never met his gaze but she could feel his eyes bore into her.

"I want to understand you," she stated simply.

Was this really what she wanted from the taiyoukai? She decided the answer was yes. To understand the intentions of this youkai, she had to understand him.

She tilted her head to the side and glanced at him, meeting his golden gaze.

Then he suddenly gave her a small smile. "It seems then that I'm not the only one who wants to understand,"

_**Sesshomaru…**_

He was slowly beginning to understand her. What the meaning of her life was. She was still hard to read, but he could understand her better from a close radius than from afar. He took note that she was actually someone to trifle with and he hardly found anyone superior to him, let alone his father.

The taiyoukai watched the sun slowly set below the horizon as the first stars started to form within the sky. He sniffed the air and he caught her scent as it neared and was a foot away from him. She sat beside him and they remained in silence.

"Why do you bother staying?" her voice broke through the darkness that cloaked them.

He merely remained silent. The youkai found no reason to explain himself to a mere mortal woman.

The taiyoukai kept his eyes to the distance and they scanned the area, trying to keep his focus on something else as he thought more about her. He felt her tension and he glanced at her, his golden gaze piercing through the dark. Her dark onyx hair flowing gracefully down her back as her vigilant mahogany orbs maintained themselves to the distance. His eyebrows slightly furrowed. He found himself letting his eyes skim her slim form, taking in the full breasts that were hidden by the armor she wore and the hakamas that covered her long legs. He caught himself and went back to watching the endless distance.

He felt her eyes on him and he peered at her. "What?" not caring that he let his annoyance seep into his voice.

Sesshomaru then felt a hand touch his and he maintained his focus on her eyes that seemed to have softened. He narrowed his eyes, trying to find his answers within those pools of mahogany.

Her hand slid off his and he watched her in silent curiosity.

"I know that was something I shouldn't have done," she said her voice soft and tender.

Blinking at her response he sniffed in disdain. "Do expect some form of reassurance or flattery,"

"Neither," she said softly.

"You humans are incomprehensible," he stated.

"The same as you demons," she retorted.

They went back to being silent as it usually was when he found himself asking her another question.

"Why is that you protect those humans?"

She fixed her eyes on his and smiled. "Is that a question that really needs to be answered?"

"Yes," he said primly. "There is no reason why you should. What do you receive in return?"

The smile disappeared and her eyelids lowered. "No, I suppose there isn't a reason,"

"Then why?" he asked.

She looked up at the dark sky. "Because it's my duty," she responded.

Sesshomaru watched her and saw a small tear leak from her eye as it slowly trailed down her cheek. He leaned close to her and wiped the salty drop before it fell to the ground.

"Why is it that you cry?"

"I'm not sure…"

"You do not know the meaning of your pain," he stated.

She met his eyes and they narrowed as she leaned against his cool fingertip.

"Just as you don't know the meaning of your destiny,"

_**Midoriko…**_

The hand withdrew and they went back to their own musings, sitting in the silent dark, a demon and a priestess.

She felt as though she could understand him a bit more but he was a mystery to her as much as she was to him. He was only here to understand her. That much was certain. She spent her days just wandering and killing whatever demon came to attack the area she was in, but at the same time she wondered about him still. The young taiyoukai, son of the Inu no Taisho.

Midoriko sat beneath the shade of a tree and she closed her eyes to take a short rest, but even in her dreams the youkai would haunt her. Every waking moment he would be there, in her mind. She slowly opened her eyelids and found him staring at her with that inhuman, passive way he would always look at her.

"Why do you not kill me?" she softly questioned.

He only continued to stare at her when he replied. "I don't know,"

She didn't expect a response since he hasn't spoken to her in the past few days. Taking this as an opportunity she pressed further. "Do you hate me?"

"I'm not sure,"

"You're not sure if you hate me?" she asked.

"Why do you ask me such obvious questions priestess?"

Midoriko simply sighed as she turned her head to a different direction. Why did he confuse her so? Why could he not answer her questions?

She then felt a hand rest on her cheek and she met his golden orbs.

"Don't avert your eyes when I speak to you," he told her with authority.

"Why should I do anything you ask?"

He smirked. "You still haven't learned anything from our first encounter,"

She watched him with an impassive glare and then she felt his hand slowly begin to caress her cheek, slide down the side of her neck and move back to her face where it rested beneath her chin and tilt her head up.

She realized right then that she feared him. For the first time in her life, she feared something. But she found that the reason that she feared him wasn't from the fact that he could kill her; she feared him because of the feelings that he evoked from her by that simple touch. The simple stroke of his hand against her skin stirred something inside her and she was afraid of the feeling. It was disturbing, frightening, and unnerving.

She watched as his head slowly descended and his mouth was an inch from her own, his warm breath touching her lips as they slightly parted for an unknown reason.

_**Sesshomaru…**_

He found himself slowly descending his head down to hers. He watched as she continued to stare at him with lowered eyelids. He could hear her heartbeat quicken and her breathing became long and slow. He could smell her fear but it wasn't from the usual fear that he sensed from humans when he was near. It was by something else.

There was something inside him that made him act in such a manner, and it drove him insane that he did not know what the feeling was. Could it be possible that he had come to love her? That emotion was far from his comprehension and yet, he might be feeling it, for this human woman.

He found his head coming closer to hers and he brushed his lips against hers, feeling the way her soft warm lips touched his. He was fascinated, and he loathed himself for it, he began to comb through the ebony tresses, letting his lips graze along the surface of her flawless skin. His mouth nipped at her ear and he slowly moved downward to nuzzle the crook of her neck.

Sesshomaru smirked when he licked the pulse point on her neck and she gasped sharply. Her reaction caused him to venture further and he slid a hand behind her back as he began to remove her armor, then setting it aside he moved a hand into her haori and began to caress the small of her back. Pushing the opening of her haori with his nose, he pressed his face against the soft breasts that were always hidden by her clothes.

He paused and he glanced up at her, wondering why she hadn't protested. He wanted her to protest. As much as he wanted to find out everything about her, he wanted her to give him an excuse to stop his actions and take his departure. He looked at her with a quizzical look in his eyes and he was surprised when he felt her lips touch his and her warm tongue slid along his mouth.

Giving her access, her tongue plunged into his mouth and their tongues slowly began to wrestle. He tasted the moist cavern and lavished himself in her unique taste, breathing in her sweet yet spicy aroma that was now heightened from arousal. He felt delicate hands run themselves in his hair and begin to untie the bindings of his clothes. He felt her hot breath against his ear and he pushed her down to the ground, removing the obi that kept her hakamas on. His mouth began to suckle on a now hard nipple and he moved from one to the other, shifting himself between her legs and opening them with his. Letting his hands roam her body, his claws tracing her slender waist and moving behind her to arch her back.

She moaned and he growled in the back of his throat. He placed small heated kisses from her neck to her shoulders, his hands greedily molding her breasts as he thrust himself into the fragile opening.

Midoriko hissed sharply from the sudden pain then relaxed as he moved himself inside her. Slightly picking up the pace, he thrust himself into her, her soft moans arousing him all the more.

Wrapping a leg around his waist, she pushed herself against him. She felt tears brim her eyes and she felt a scream about to erupt from her throat, when he muffled it by crashing his mouth onto hers. He pulled away to look at her, her face was now flushed, her hair sticking to her from the sweat. In the light of the moon, her form glistened from the sweat as it became illuminated by the pale rays.

He descended his mouth onto hers again and nipped at her neck, sticking out his tongue and traced it from her pulse point to her ear. He felt a hand softly tug his hair as another raked his back softly, her fingers tracing his back to his arm, resting on the magenta stripes on his cheek.

"Sesshomaru…" she breathed.

The taiyoukai's eyes widened a fraction at the sound of his name; her voice tender and laced with sweetness. He enjoyed the way his name sounded like when said from her lips and he pressed his mouth lightly on hers.

"I love this feeling," she whispered against his mouth, cupping his face with a sweaty palm.

Sesshomaru peered down at her, her mahogany orbs softening as she smiled up at him. He smiled gently as he placed another kiss on her lips, her mouth parting as she deepened the kiss. He then pulled himself from her, spilling his seed onto the ground. He lay down beside her, shifting her head onto his shoulder. Turning his golden oculars upwards to the dark sky, he wondered if he could now understand humans a little bit better now. Glancing down back at the woman in his arms, he rested a hand on her ribcage, feeling it rise and fall beneath his palm. Watching her sleeping form, he embraced her tighter and then closed his eyes.

_**Midoriko…**_

The next morning Midoriko opened her eyes and stared blankly at the empty spot beside her. He left. Even though a part of her would miss his company, she knew it was for the best. If he had remained, she didn't really know if she could endure something like that. She had lain with a demon but she didn't feel in the least bit tainted. To her, it felt almost as if they were supposed to have come together for that one night.

Donning her clothes she set off once more to do what she was supposed to do; the memory of her night with her demon lover lingering in the back of her mind, a smile gracing her lips. She now understood him, and she realized that there was more to life than just her duty. She had learned how to desire for something, and she didn't regret learning it, just as she didn't regret coupling with Sesshomaru; she accepted things as they went.

She knew that she was destined to mate with him and she learned that he would always be the one who taught her desire and remain the only thing in life that she desired.


End file.
